Primary battery



Mar. 27, 1923.

E. H. BECKER.

PRIMARY BATTERY.

FILED Nov.1,1921`| www 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

IN V EN TOR )Luv/:mw ATTORNEYS.

E. H. BECKER.

PRIMARY BATTERY.

FILED NOV. I8, 192i.

Mar. 27, 1923.

3 SHEETS SHEET 2.

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Patented Mar. 27, ,1923.

UNITED STATES ,l 1,450,059 PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUN'D E. BECKER, OF WATER'BUIY,A CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO THE WATER'BURY BATTERY CO., F WATERBUBY,

CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

PRIMARY BATTERY.

i v Application :Bled November To LZZ'who/m. t may concern Be it known thatl EDMUND H. BECKER, a citizen of the United States, and resident oflVaterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in` Primary Batteries, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in primarybatteries of the class comp-rising a zinc and copper couple submerged within a suitable active solution, and designed to disclose evidence of its approaching state of exhaustion.

The object of the invention is to provide asan intergal part of the assembled battery element, a mechanically actuated device, designed to be operated at any predetermined period within the ampere hour ca. pacity of the cell, for automatically accom.

plishing any one of several objects, as for l instance, to automatically I curs or to indicate the amount of electrical energy still available, by a suitable signal,

such as a lamp or bell; or to automatically close a circuit and thereby connect up and introduce a new element inthe cell; and further to automatically add booster cells to the battery or to replace the exhausted battery.

- This indicating device is especially adaptable for use in any of the commercial containers, used for batteries of this class. The

invention can beapplied either internally or 3,5 externally,

elements by a light or by sound as preferred,

and further may if necessary, be constructed to record the .exact time that the battery.

becomes exhausted. It may also be designated so that the action of eating away of the Zinc electrode may be directly converted into mechanical movement The device of the invention includes in part a switch adapted to be employed in conjunction with one of the elements of the battery, preferably the positive element, in

a manner to be released at a predetermined state of disintegration of said element and in a way to close the switch and thereby form acircuit that may be used to throw in new elements, cells, bells or lights, as may be desired.

With these and other objects in view the invention resides and consists in the construction and novel combination and arindicate the state of exhaustion of the battery' when that oc-4 to indicate the condition of the `18, 1921. Serial No. 516,047.

rangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departure from the spirit or sacriicing any of the advantages of the invention. i Similar characters of reference denote like or corresponding parts through the several vfigures of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and upon which, i

Fig. 1 shows a central verticalsectional view of a cylindrical form yof commercial type of primary battery suspended' from a cover and withina container equipped with my improvement to boost the voltage by introducing a new element;

Fig. 2 shows a detached plan view of the assembled cylindrical elementsv shown in Fig. l; l

Fig. 3 is a central verticalisection through the assembled elements shown in Fig. l, said section being taken at a right angle to that of Fig. l; l

Fig. 4 shows a detail View of the switch mechanism shown in Fig. 3, but in a closed position;

.Fig 5 is a further central vertical sectional view of an assembled cylindrical element, suspended from a. cover and to which a modified form of my invention is shown applied for the operation of an externally located signal to indicate the state of approaching exhaustion;

Fig. 6 is a further central vertical section of the parts shown in Fig. 5, but taken at a right angle to that of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows diagrammatically the invention as applied for the operation of an externally located switchand signal; I

Fig. 8 shows another application of my 100 invention adapte-d to` automatically" move a sliding contact on a resistance coil;

Fig. 9 illustrates another form in which the invention may be used and whereby the effect of the eating away of the zinc is noted 105 at'several predetermined stages cutting out a resistance to compensate for drop in battery voltage; and l Fig. 10 shows a form of battery wherein the zinc electrode is connected to a mechani- 110 cally operated indicator, that shows the state o'f exhaustion of cell or graduatedsector.

Referring in detail to the characters of reference marked upon the dra-wings, 10 represents a battery jar, 11 a cover therefor .which is preferably made of porcelain or other suitable material. This cover is provided with the usual central hole 12 through which a suspending bolt 13 is ositioned for the support of the assembled battery elements. The suspending bolt includes a head 14 between which and the cover, a yoke 15, the switch contact plate 16 and the nut 17 are positioned lelectrically connectingY 13, 14, 15, 16 to negative element 25. The upper and outer exposed threaded end portion of the bolt is provided with one or more binding nuts 18 for the attachment of the conducting wire 19 attached thereto, said post thus forming one of the poles of the battery. The cover further includes a hole 20 to yaccommodate the conducting Wire 21 lattached tothe opposite elements of the battery through the bolt 22 as will be again referred to.

23 represents a pair of insulator members positioned opposite each other on the top of the cylindrical form of positive and negative elements 24, 25, 26 and 27. The insulator members are bolted tol and sup-ported from the before mentioned yoke 15 and form a part of the frame for supporting the assembled elements. An insulating plate 28 is positioned between the yoke and thesaid insulating members 23 and serves to support the central element 27 The two cylindrical positive elements 24. a-nd 26 are each p-rovided with a pair of extended ears 29 each having a hole therethrough to receive the bolts 2,2 which are supported in horizontal holesj in each ofthe insulating member 23. By this means the said ears and elements are vclamped and secured to the inner and outer faces of theV said insulating members in a way to be supported at opposite sides and at an equal distance apart., The larger cylindrical negative element 25 is preferably provided at both its top'and bottom edge with an annular cap 30 'and has v,an external winding of fine wire 31 upon its periphery as shown. This element is secured to the i-nsulating members 23 and is electrically con'- l nected to the yoke 15 by two rods 32 that extend down through and against the inside of the element, and which are provided with a hook 33 upon their lower ends ,that engage the under side of the element.

The upper ends 0f these rods are threaded and provided with Inuts 34 l by means of which the said negati-ve elements are secured to the said blocks, between the two positive elements before mentioned and to also secure the yoke thereto so that the'unit as shown,

imay be supported 'by a single suspending .battery 44 vand a lamp 45.

, The central negative element 2@ is provided with a cap 35 top and bottom and a central rod 36 by means of which the caps are secured to the cylinder 27. The top end portion of the rod is threaded and provided with nuts 37 for attachment to the before mentioned insulating plate 28 and electrif cally connected tothe spring actuated member 38.

The automatically actuated device of the invention heretofore referred to, may be applied to batteries of the type shown as well as to flat plate type of battery, in various ways and therefore I do not wish tol be limited to the particular design of construc tion. A simple form of an application of the switch is clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein a metal contact plate 16 is secured beneath the head of the suspendingbolt 1'3 and has its free end disposed outward for the engagementof the spring actuated member 38 of the switch which is secured to the under side of the insulative plate 28 and to the suspending rod 36 ofthe negative element 27. lThis .spring actuated member 38 is normally held down out of contact with the plate 16 by means of a link 39 whose end portions are linsulated one from\the other as at 39",.'l One end. of this link is connected to said f. spring actuated member and the other 'through a hole 40 in the edge of the positive element 26 so that with the prelimi -ing the switch and electrically connecting negativeelement 27 in parallel with negative element 25 thereby introducing a new element within the cell.

To signal the state of exhaustion as indicated in Figs. 5 and- 6 the spring member 38'a isinsulatively supported from the hanger 13 and yoke 15 and the link 39 vis connected to a hole 40a in the bottom edge of the outer. 'l

positive element 24. `The contacting Vpost 41 is mounted in the cover, in alignment with the action of the spring actuated member 38a so that when the latter is released it will engage the end of the post andolose the circuit. This'circuit is represented 'by a wire 42 one end of which is connected between nuts 43 and the lother to the short end 'of' the arm 38a, said circuit further including a This lamp is merely one form of signal which might be A employed to indicate the condition of the battery, it being obvious that a bell or other indicating -device may be employed instead of the light if desired. This circuit can 'also cover any desired area so as to signal at a point distant from the battery if required.

Fig. 7 illustrates a form of indicating device wherein the link 39 is attached to thel top edge of one of the positive elements and the upper end is connected to a switch 46 which may be located distant from the cell while the remaining portion of the circuit may be like that shown in Fig. 6.

It will be obvious that a battery of this sort may be employed as one of a series, as for instance the zinc illustrated as 24', so far as the purposes of my invention are concerned, might'be' one of those employed in the series indicated by 44.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a construction wherein the eating away of the lower edge of the tapered zinc electrode 24', caused by the operation of the battery, is directly employed to automatically produce mechanical' movement whichin this instance is utilized for operating a sliding contact 47 for a resistance 48'through the assistance of a spring 49 one'end of which is secured to the post 504 and the other to an insulating block 51 in which the said contacting member 47 is mounted.' 42 represents a circuit, one end of which is connected to the contacting member 47 and the other to one end of the resistance 48.

In Fig. 9 I have shown three connecting links 39a, 39b and 39, with the zinc electrode 24, and designed to operate through abattery circuit 42 and resistance coil 52, to insure a more uniform discharge of current from the battery. As for instance it will be seen that the link 39a is connected through a hole in the upper reduced portion 53 of the zinc 24 whichhole is relatively near the top edge and thus adapted to be released before the other two links 39b and 39C', which are later released in their respective orders as the edge portion of the zinc is further consumed. The upper ends of each of these links above referred to are connected to switch levers 54, 54" and 54,. The other ends of said levers are pivoted at 55 and are actuated by springs 56 that serve to respectively throw the levers into contact with the points 57 positioned at spaced distances apart and connected with the resistance coil. From this it will be seen that sections of the resistance coil 52 will be successively cut out during discharge to compensate for drop in battery voltage. When the zinc has been used to a point where the first link is released, a section a: of' the resistance is cut out and a uniform voltage of the battery is maintained, and so again with the release of the second link 39b and the cutting out of the intermediate section y as the element 24 is a zinc element in one of the cells comprising the battery which supplies circuit 42 tery, is illustrated in Fig. -10 and wherein said mechanical action is utilized to operae a mechanical indicator. 1 This device consi s of a bracket 58 and a graduated sector 59 secured to the central binding post 13 of cell.l

allowing hook of link actuated by the weight on lever 47 to follow upward so that the pointer will promptly indicate thestate of exhaustion ofthe cell on the graduated sector 59. Y

This type of indicator is especially adaptable to opaque containers As all these types of cells in the same series are uniform in their operation, it is only necessary to equip one cell of the batter with this indicator.

aving thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters IDatent is:

1', The combination with a primary battery including a positive and a negative electrode and an active solution therefor, of a circuit making and breaking device, connections therewith and withone of the said electrodes adapted to be automatically released/ at a predetermined time tol yoperate the circuit closing device.

2. The combination with a primary battery including a positive and a negative electrode and active solution therefor," of a cirlcuit making and breaking device, means connecting the same `with the edge portion of one of the electrodes in a manner to be released therefrom by4 the disintegrating of said element due to the operation of the bat- 3. Ina vpriirnary battery including a copper oxide and zinc e-lement, of means for indicating, the state of exhaustion of the battery, including a switch, and means connecting the operative member of the switch with the positive element so that when the latter is eaten awayy by the action of the battery, the member will be released and the switch closed. l

4. The combination with the positive and negative electrodes of a primary battery andmeans for supporting the,` same in a jar, of a' ixed and movable switch member carried by the supporting" means, means connecting the movable member and positive element in a way to be automatically released at a-predeterinined time by the disintegrating ofthe positive element.

5. In aprimary battery including a positive and negative element, and an active solution in which the elements arev submerged, an extra element f also contained Within the solution, a switch connected with the last named element, means connecting istv one member of the switch and the positive element for normally holding the switch open, but adapted to be released when the positive element disintegrates. f

6,-A primary battery comprising a positive and negative element,'and an active solution in which the elements are submerged in a manner to cause the eating away of the positive element by the operation of the battery, a mechanically operatable device connected with the positive element and adapted to be automatically operated by the de-v composition of the positive electrode.

7. A primary battery ycomprising a positive and ne ative element, and an active solution in W ich-the elements are submerged in a manner toy cause the eating away of the positive element by the operation of the battery., a means connected withl the portion of the positive element to be eateny away, and

adapted to be released by said action and devices connected with said means for indicating said operation of zinc.

8. A primary battery comprising a posi tive and negative ele-ment, and an active solution in which the elements are submerged in a manner to cause the eating away of the i positive element by the operation of the bat.v

EDMUND H. BECKER.

-Witnesses- HARRY T. HUBERT, JAMES IG. Ross. 

